While soaking up the warmer weather after months of snow, don’t forget to use sunscreen and stay hydrated.
I forgot the latter when I was covering the Canadian Indian Relay Racing Association’s (CIRRA) season opener at the Bonnyville rodeo grounds last weekend, and regretted it.
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Regardless of my efforts and time spent applying sunscreen before heading out, I still got sunburnt as a result of being outside for a majority of the afternoon.
I wasn’t drinking as much water as I should have been, and felt the impact later on. I was light headed, dizzy, nauseous, and had muscle weakness.
It could have turned into a case of heatstroke, but I got myself out of the sun before it got too bad.
After the long winter months, I know a lot of people are eager to get out and enjoy the warmer weather. They hit the beach, go for walks, play at the park, or enjoy other activities outside.
It’s a great time to take advantage of the sunshine, and it can help when shaking off the winter blues.
But, it does come with dangers.
You can develop a sunburn, get heatstroke, heat exhaustion, stress, or become severely dehydrated. For seniors, babies, and young children being outside in hot temperatures could lead to severe medical conditions.
With the warmer weather coming, I implore you not to leave your pets in your vehicles. If we have bad reactions to the sun when we’re outside, just imagine what could happen to them when they’re confined to a car on a hot afternoon.
After enduring seven months of snow and ice, we should be able to appreciate summer. Driving around town with our windows down, enjoying the local splash parks, and the beautiful nature that the Lakeland has to offer.
I just strongly urge you to do so safely. Apply the sunscreen heavily and continuously add some throughout the day especially if you’re sweating or going for a swim. Drink lots of water, and make sure to eat something as well.
If you think you may be overheating, head into a cool building or shaded area and have a cold, non-alcoholic drink, slowly.
You could cause more damage than good if you chug some liquid, possibly causing yourself to go into shock.
I know for me, I cover a lot of events outside and try to prepare myself accordingly. This past weekend was a bit of a wake-up call for me, because I didn’t realize the warmer weather was here to stay.
I’m going to be applying sunscreen a lot this summer and drinking as much water as I can when I’m heading outside, and I hope you do the same.
